The DISA valve, otherwise known as the "Intake Manifold Adjuster Unit", is located on the side of the intake manifold and is a common failure on the M54 BMW engines. The failure is caused by the type of materials used in the manufacture of two of the three key valve components. The three key components of the DISA are the flat plastic flapper valve which opens and closes depending on engine rpm and throttle position, the bell crank lever that rotates it, and the vacuum pot that actuates the bell crank lever. The flapper valve is made of 30% glass reinforced nylon and the bell crank lever is made of standard 6/6 nylon. As shown in the pictures on the left, the bell crank lever has a male, hex shaped protrusion, which snaps into a matching female pocket on the flapper valve. These hex shaped sections are what allow the rotation of the bell crank lever to rotate the flapper valve.

During normal engine operation, vibrations from pressure pulses inside the intake manifold cause the bell crank lever and flapper valve to vibrate against each other where the hex shaped portions contact each other. These vibrations start a wear process which will cause the tiny glass fibers in the flapper valve to become exposed. Once the fibers become exposed they start to erode away the male hex portion of the weaker bell crank lever. As soon as the erosion starts it's all down hill from there until the hex is completely worn away. The symptoms of a worn DISA valve include rough idle, lean engine codes and lack of low to mid rpm power.

If you disassemble a worn out DISA valve and look at the bell crank lever it's common to not even recognize that it once had a hex shape on the protrusion. Once the hex is shape is worn off the lever, the flapper valve no longer opens and closes in a controlled manner by the rotation of the bell crank lever. The brittle flapper valve becomes free to slap around uncontrolled within the DISA support framework. This uncontrolled movement can lead to complete destruction of the flapper valve. The broken pieces of valve have no where else to go except through the intake manifold runners and through the motor, sometimes resulting in severe engine damage. Even a small piece of plastic broken off the flapper valve can hold an intake valve open, resulting in bent valves or much worse.

Since the only parts on the DISA valve that typically fail are the flapper valve, bell crank lever and housing seal, why replace the entire unit. Replace the failed internal parts with our upgraded parts and have a much more reliable DISA for 1/3 the cost. At German Auto Solutions we thoroughly analyzed the DISA valve and engineered a solution that addresses all the weak points of the original design.

Click on the images on the left to enlarge the image size

The Solution:

The German Auto Solutions DISA repair kit features the following improvements over the original design:

The plastic flapper valve has been replaced with a black anodized & stress relieved 6061-T6 aluminum flapper valve that is twice as strong and many times less brittle than the stock part it replaces.

The plastic crank lever has been replaced with a black anodized 6061-T6 aluminum bell crank lever that is four times stronger than the stock part it replaces.

The flapper valve and lever lock together on a precision machined hex shaped taper & are screwed together, instead of just snapped together like the original design. Locking the parts together prevents any possible movement and wear between the two pieces, the #1 cause of failure in the stock design.

The parts are securely locked together by a custom, light weight, titanium pivot screw that's held captive from outside the housing. The titanium pivot screw also replaces the stock steel pin of the original design. Since the pin is part of the pivot screw, and the pivot screw is held captive from outside the DISA housing, there is no longer a possibility of a steel pin coming loose and getting sucked into the engine

OEM running clearances are reduced to minimize vibrations.

All parts are precision CNC machined to very close tolerances in the U.S.A.

The Kit also includes these key features:

The kit is installable by anyone with basic mechanical skills, using basic hand tools. Very detailed step by step instructions are provided using the link below.

The kit is priced at approximately 1/3 the retail cost of a new DISA valve from a BMW dealer. Remember, a new stock DISA can still fail prematurely.

The kit includes all parts and hardware, plus a new main DISA housing O-ring seal, proper spec'ed tube of threadlock compound, tube of synthetic grease, cotton swab applicators & a length safety wire to aid with the installation process.

Our DISA Repair Kit is now available as a "Combo Pack" with our 1.2 Bar Coolant Cap. SAVE $10.00 on the pair!

Price: $104.90

The German Auto Solutions - DISA Valve Repair & Upgrade Kit Warranty

The kit is 100% returnable for a full refund in uninstalled condition for any reason, no questions asked! (shipping charges not refundable)

The kit components are guaranteed for life.

If any other part of your DISA valve fails within 5 years of purchase date, we will credit 100% of your original purchase price toward a brand new OEM BMW DISA valve or a new G.A.S. DISA Gold Valve. This warranty includes failure of any DISA component, including the vacuum pot, electric vacuum solenoid and bell crank seal. Nobody but German Auto Solutions would ever warranty used parts that they didn't make and didn't sell you!